Ever thought about how much you’ve spent over the years on gym memberships just to keep your cam body rockin’? How about all the hours you’ve spent driving back and forth? Hours you’ve spent waiting to use some sweaty treadmill? Hours you’ve been stuck listening to some annoying chick talk your ear off about how many squats she did that morning?
If any of this sounds familiar, it may be time to rethink your gym rat addiction and replace it with an online workout you can do from home.
My quest to kick the gym habit started with first trying every Beach Body workout the popular company had. When I got sick of those, I would scour thrift stores for old-fashioned DVDs. I tried everything under the sun! The main problems I kept coming up against were:
Neighbors: the workouts were too loud – I couldn’t be jumping around like Atilla the Hun or Apartment 2B above would bang on the ceiling and scream at me.
Boredom: I’d quickly lose interest in the same set of workouts. To keep my library fresh, I’d end up shelling out just as much cash as the gym cost.
Plateauing: After a few times using the workouts they’d become easy so my results would stall.
But I refused to give up; I was determined! I kept searching and finally found a killer online workout that was quiet, effective, and full of variety.
Enter YouTube’s Barlates Body Blitz.
Barlates Blitz is the brainchild of Linda Woolridge who designs and leads hundreds of FREE online videos (more are added every week). Her technique mixes Barre with Pilates which tones as well as cuts fat. 90% of the videos are quiet (no more angry neighbors) with unique exercises that get your heart rate up but don’t require jumping around. Not only is there an astounding array of choices, but they really kick your butt!
Think you’re great at sit ups? Dare you to try one Barlates 10-minute abdominal workout to see if you’re not crying at the end. There’s also never an excuse to skip a day – workouts range from under five minutes to over sixty. Think those short ones are a walk in the park? Ha! Think again. In addition, Barlates weekly rotations and monthly workout calendars help keep you from ever plateauing and/or getting bored.
Currently there are 37 weekly rotations – that’s nearly a full year of unique workouts every single day. Monthly calendars (9 months’ worth) target specific problem areas. Want even more videos to choose from? You can also purchase Barlates non-YouTube workouts singly or as a subscription on the site as well.
Workouts are personal, not everything is for everyone, but head over to the Barlates YouTube Channel and take a whirl around. See if it’ll get you to kick the gym habit, save a little time and put a little extra cash in your pocket. If nothing else it will give you lots of ideas on different ways to mix up your routine.
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Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via [email protected].
